Merced, CA · Public · 8,372 undergraduates · suburban
University of California-Merced
Selective
The newest UC campus combines research-university academics with a direct institutional focus on California's fast-growing San Joaquin Valley.
Institutional profile
Top tier Exceptional in mobility, and strong in affordability.- Admission
- 39.2% admitted
- Price by income
- Resident and nonresident prices differ
- Completion
- 71.6%
67,891 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$64,368 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets University of California-Merced apart
Academic design
Engineering, natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and management-related study emphasize undergraduate research opportunities.
Campus pattern
Merced sits in the Central Valley within reach of Sierra Nevada and Yosemite-region field sites.
Career & value signal
Research and regional partnerships address water, environment, health, agriculture, energy, and Valley development issues.
Can I get in?
39.2% admitted
Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.
Recent applicant pool
67,891About 39 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Record over scores
No score range is published for the entering class, so the transcript, the course rigor, and the required materials carry the file.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for University of California-Merced, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What University of California-Merced weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
Engineering, natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and management-related study emphasize undergraduate research opportunities.
Make institutional fit specific
The newest UC campus combines research-university academics with a direct institutional focus on California's fast-growing San Joaquin Valley.
Use the application route carefully
Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.
$80 application fee
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
College funding
Scholarships and financial aid
Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.
University of California-Merced publishes one merit award. All of them renew past the first year.
Open across the university · Merit and financial need · Competitive · Renews
In the season card
This award, by name
What each one is called, what it pays, the grades and scores it asks for, and what to send.
- The name of each award
- What it pays
- The grades and scores it asks for
- How to be considered
- What to send, and where
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at University of California-Merced
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Research and Experimental Psychology
Biology, General
Computer Engineering
Admits separately
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
Admits separately
Mechanical Engineering
Admits separately
What is campus life like?
University of California-Merced beyond the classroom
Merced sits in the Central Valley within reach of Sierra Nevada and Yosemite-region field sites.
A defining academic feature
Engineering, natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and management-related study emphasize undergraduate research opportunities.
What shapes an ordinary week
Merced sits in the Central Valley within reach of Sierra Nevada and Yosemite-region field sites.
Where the degree can lead
Research and regional partnerships address water, environment, health, agriculture, energy, and Valley development issues.